Second Chances
by moonlightmaiden15
Summary: The gods have abandoned humanity, an ancient evil stirs.  A fallen god is reborn.  Six guardians must fight for human and elven kind. All hope rests on finding the reborn goddes of true love.  Only the gods know her identity, and they aren't telling.T rat
1. The Legend of Night

Hi everyone! I'm back after a long break with a new story! I'm stuck on my old one soo...

This isn't actually based off of a D&D session...yet. But it is in a D&D universe. I did use characters from a TV show so... it might be a crossover, but i don't know what that entails persay... If this is a crossover, someone tell me.

forte: at least i'm in this one.

axl: am i?

maybe. I don't own D&D or the characters I used in this story, they are the property of their perspective owners. I DO own my OC and the idea for this story, though.

Legend of Night

They say that once the gods cared for us. They say that sometimes the gods would walk amongst us. Give life to those in need. Heal newborn babes. That once in a while a half-celest would be born to man, elf, orc, or dwarf. But that time is long gone. The gods have long since abandoned us, never to return. We angered them. We desecrated the shrines to them. Temples fell, wars raged, paladins were ruthlessly slaughtered. We betrayed our very creators. Wrose than all that, though, was what we did to our fellow races.

Once humans were one of many races. Peace filled our land. We spoke to animals as though they were our freinds. we cared about them, and they were our partners. Now only the Druids retain the ability to hear the world's voices. Of the non-human races only the Elves remain.

Once we could cast spells, magic was our link to the gods. We could heal with a few words, or cause lightning to strike. Light could be called forth without heat. Now only the clerics know what lay in the ancient tomes from the time of the gods.

When the gods left our world, it was because of one thing. They loved all races, but none more so than the Elves. They were the first to live, you see. And once they were as immortal, in that they did not die of age or disease, as the gods. They were closest to the gods. But the humans were jealouse, you see. We wanted to be the gods favorites. So we enslaved the Elves. And our Archmages made a spell that took away their immortality. All that remains is their long lifespans.

You see, as there were gods who loved life, there was a god who hated life. In ancient times he was sealed away, and could not directly interfere in our lives, he did have the ability to speak into our very hearts. The Elves alone resisted him completely, and even then most of them fell. He was Corruption, god of hatred. More powerful than his brethren, he was the first to reach the hearts of man and creature alike. His vile spirit tainted the very earth untill the gods would not even have been able to stop him. Not without great loss, anyway.

The gods had turned their backs on us, but one god saw our pain and suffering and knew the taint for what it truly was. She pleaded with her brothers and sisters, begging them to save us, but noone listened. They called her a fool and said that she was as naive as they had been, not realizing that she was the least naive of all of them. All save one, the god of the night. He agreed, and they birthed one last child, one last god: pure and innocent. She gave her life, knowing not of hatred or pain, only of love. She sealed the evil god and was granted freedom from the games of the gods by her death.

Once the other gods realized what had happened, they gave us one last gift. They swore that if ever the great evil were to return, six guardians would be sent to our world, in flesh and bone. And one of them is might be the lost guardian, given the highest honor of all. A life amongst the Elves.

Now the evil god threatens our world once more, and the guardions are our last hope.

We can only hope the gods have not forgotten...


	2. A New Master

Sorry it took so long... I didn't even start till today 'cuz I was waiting for inspiration...But at least I think this one turned out well. Tell me if I'm being inconsistent with anything, please?

Forte: Not again...MOVE ON ALREADY!

Axl: Don't be so mean to her and she WILL!

Axl, since I still haven't decided if you'r in here or not yet, will you please do the disclaimer?

Axl: Fine... moonlightmaiden15 does not own D&D, Forte, ME, Rockman, Roll, Blues, or anyone else that is found in the Rockman/Megaman series'. She does own the idea for this story, her OC's, the bad guys, and this universe. None of these characters have ability scores either, so if you want to use them, go ahead. Except Saphire, she does have ability scores. Done, happy?

Extreemly.

A New Master

"B-but master...why did they choose me?" a fifteen-year-old female elf asked. She wore a dark blue long-sleeved maid's uniform, without the apron and the lower-front cloth that covered the space below mid-thigh, allowing her to run if needed. She also didn't wear high-heels or stockings, she wore light-blue boots and a pair dark-blue pants instead. Rather than the traditional maid's hat, she had a dark-blue ribbon that fell to her waist tied in a bow at her shoulder blades that kept her ankle-length hair out of her face while she worked.

"Quiet _slave_!" a fat old man interrupted. His clothes were a little too small around his stomach, and he smelt of beer. Elves were second-rate citizens, if they were citizens at all. Many elves had been enslaved when their countries, Lunaria and Nocturn, had been taken over by the humans. About a century had passed since then, and the advances to technology were staggering. A few elven clans had become honorary noble families in Afaldren, the human country. As far as anyone is aware, there are only two races left in Dracona. "You will serve the Nocturn family EXE. Got it."

"Yes sir." The elven girl bowed the way Japanese women do in our world, bending at the waist with her fingertips touching and her hands in front of her. Her eyes are currently hid by her bangs wich are down to her nose. The room in which this is taking place appears to be some kind of kitchen. They left and entered what appeared to be an entrence hall.

"Hmph." A nocturn elf with purple birthmarks running along the outer edges of his face and on his eyelids spoke with contempt. He wore a simple travel suit, which was black and a few purple marks running up his pants and began to zigzag once it reached his well-muscled abdomen only to move in to merge in the middle of his personal emblem, a black circle with a slash through it diagonally upward in the right side from a spectators view. He looked to be about 17, and he had slightly messy violet hair that covered his forehead. He was inspecting the girl."I take it this is the new slave? Well?"

"Yes. This is the slave Your father asked for." The man appeared to be a slavedriver of some kind. "she may not look like much, but she knows no other life than that of a slave. She's handy in the kitchen, can read well, has a way with animals, is neat as a pin, is a fast learner, and as loyal as they come. She's also very resilient." He seemed to be nervous for some reason.

"Can she fight?" He continued to inspect the girl. "Answer carefully, I still haven't decided whether or not I want the slave."

"N-no, she cannot fight." the slavedriver was obviously surprised. And possibly frightened. "W-why would she have to fight? She's just a slave, for Solaris' sake!"

"Invoke a name that means nothing anymore if you wish." The stranger said. "It will not help with this deal. I was under the impression that she could fight rather well."

"W-what! I never tought her how to fight! Who told you that?"

"My younger brother. A rather rambunctious lad by the name of Netto." He continued to study the girl throughout the conversation, almost completely ignoring the slavedriver. The girl flinched at the mention of the boy who she had beat to a pulp the day before for trying to leave the cafe that she served in without paying. She hadn't realized who it was, not to mention she waited till he was out the door to do it, so noone noticed. He saw the reaction and spoke to her, "Have you two met?"

"N-not officially...I-i might have seen him around town..." She flinched again when the slavedriver moved for his whip, which lay at his left hip.

"I'll take her." The nocturn said quickly, before the slavedriver could reach it. "And why did you reach for that whip? I did ask her a question."

"She is under strict orders to just stand there silently." was all he said. "When will you take the slave?"

"As soon as she is ready for travel." The nocturn said Impatiently. "She will make an excellent handmaid for my sister."

"Go get your things, _slave_. Your new master wants you ready. NOW!" the slavedriver told the slave.

"Yes sir!" The slave went to her quarters, just past the kitchen and bundled up her few belongings and kitten, breifly wondering how big her new masters family was. Mentally she started on a menu of meals for her new master's family to try.

When she arrived outside of the rather large building she noticed that the stranger was already on a horse, a black stallion that seemed to be a bit upset by his master's obvious bad mood. She decided to talk to the poor thing quickly in order to calm the horse down. The horse said his name was Breakneck, not that his master knew or cared, and that he was bound to his master; as long as his master lived, so would he. The girl told the horse that the boy was her master as well, at least for the moment, and that he probobly did not know her name either, so they were in the same boat.

"Y-you can actually _talk_ to animals!" The stranger was very surprised to see this. Noone had been able to do that for over a hundred years! "That's impossible! Noone is supposed to be able to do that! Not anymore."

"Is it really that strange?" The slave girl asked him. "I've always been able to do it. Ever since a cave lion saved my life, anyway."

"A-a _cave lion_?" the stranger was becoming more and more facinated by this slave. His ruby eyes searched her more and more closely, looking for some kind of indication that she was lying or joking. He did not appreciate being made a fool of much, but this one was so well planned and played out that he could not help but appreciate both her imagination and acting skills. She looked so convincingly innocent that he almost beleived her. Almost.

"He says his name is Breakneck and that he will die if you do...or something like that. He also said that you didn't know his name." She had no idea what was going on in his head at the time.

"Uhuh...Just get on him already." The girl's new master began to wonder if she really could talk to his horse when he noticed how the girl fidgeting. He let out an exasperated sigh. "What now?"

"I-i can't ride." the girl continued to fidget and stare at the ground. She couldn't bear to look him in the eye, she always hated to admit that she didn't know how to do something that her masters had told her to do. Mainly because they usually ended up hitting her for it. She unconciously began to brace herself for the blow.

Her new master noticed this and tried to reasure her..."Look, there's no reason to beat someone for something they don't know how to do. Most likely it wasn't their fault in the first place, how can you learn something that was never taught to you in the first place anyway?" She began to relax, slightly. He realized that she must have had the worst owners the slavedrivers could find to be so ill at ease with him, and resolved to change that. She was becoming greater and greater a prospect for his sister's handmaid, but the more he learnt about this girl the more he liked her too. "Get on, I'll keep you from falling off. Okay?"

"S-sure, m-master." She climbed on with his help, getting an idea of how strong he was for the first time. When they walked into the halls of Castle EXE, she got a good long look at what slave that had been treated well looked like.

The entrence hall was a soft shade of green, inviting calm instead of nervous chatter. Not like her old home. There were couches and comfortable chairs as well, implying that visitors were often to be found on these grounds. The carpet looked amazing, although well worn, and the whole room smelt of flowers that were in perfect harmony. All in all it gave the feel of coming home after a long journey, rather than a beseiged castle. The servents all wore uniforms with the families coat of arms on them, and varied greatly. In fact, one could almost say the uniforms were self-made by the servants. They also lacked the symbol that represented slavery, exept in a very few cases.

"Why aren't they wearing the slavery symbol?" She asked.

"Because they don't have to, not here." Her new master said. He then beconed to her. "This way, you must meet the rest of my family now."

Not too bad...

Forte: Not this again. JUST READ IT AND REVIEW SO SHE DOESN'T START BEGGING AGAIN!

Axl: Why not? You just did.

Forte: Shut the hack up.

QUIET!


	3. Family

Family

"Y-your family?" She asked as she followed him. He didn't answere, just walked on towards a large door. She got the message and shut the hack up.

"Father, Mother, I stand before you with the new slave, who is anxious to receive her duties." He said after they entered the throne room, which was covered in the family colors: blue, black and red. the flags were blue with the family coat of arms on it. "I ask that you give her said duties soon, as I am also anxious to return to my own Duties."

"Very well, Forte, my son. You may return to your other duties while we speak with this slave ourselves." His father said. He was about fourty years old and wore cutting edge clothes. He had on a white lab coat with orange stripes down the sleves, a grey shirt, and black pants and shoes. His eyes were brown and he had on glasses. Neat brown hair lay on his head and beguiled his disorganized and scatterbrained mind. After her new master, whose name she inferred was Forte, left he spoke to her. "Now then, I notice he left out your name. I suppose he forgot to ask again. What is your name, young one?"

"M-my name is Saphire, my lord." She answered and bowed once more. She looked at the second chair breifly, wondering where the Lady EXE was, only to be read by the king.

"My wife is in the garden, Saphire. Truth be told, none of our family much likes the idea of slavery, so we do not treat our slaves like slaves, but rather servants. I'm afraid you will have to excuse my eldest son, he is preoccupied with preparing for his next quest and is getting into the mood for the formal as he will be meeting with the king of Afaldren if he is succesful. Hmm...I recall him saying that if a slave were to help in this quest they would be freed..." Lord EXE began to mutter to himself as though thinking about something important. "OH! Right. Before I forget, My wife will tell you what your duties are untill further notice. Just take the right hand door out and follow the smell of flowers. It should lead you right there."

"Thank you for your time, my lord." She bowed again and left through the door he had indicated, Lord EXE mumbling to himself once more. As she followed the path to the garden, she got the sense that someone was watching her. She was also right.

"In the name of Kuromi-sama I command you to state your buisness!" A girl with long violet hair in a ponytail jumped down in front of Saphire. She wore what looked like a dark-purple jumpsuit and a dark-purple skirt and T-shirt with dark-purple boots. "Or feel the wrath of Amazon Shinobi Alicia!"

"I-i am a new slave, m-my name is S-saphire. I-i was told to go to the gardens and meet Lady EXE to receive m-my duties..." she was scared by the sudden appearence of this girl, so she bowed once more. "I-i'm sorry! I didn't mean to cause trouble."

Alicia started to laugh. "Come _on_! You don't actually think you had caused trouble, did you? You must be the new slave my brother told me about. My name's Alicia, and yours is Saphire right?" Saphire was surprised to see that her eyes were purple to!

"Y-ye-"

"Pleased to meet you Saphire-chan. Do you mind if I call you -chan? No? Great!"

"A-actually I never sai-"

"The garden's this way! I'll show yo-"

"ALICIA!" A raven haired boy in a dark-blue jumpsuit and light-blue boots called as he walked up. Saphire noticed that the sides of his torso had light blue stripes and that his bangs were combed back out of his eyes. Obviously he usually wore a helmet of some kind, and probobly armor as well. "Sensei sent me to get you, you can't just skip your lessons at will you know! I swear, one of these days your gonna get us _both_ in some serious trouble. OH! Hello, my name is Rockman. Pleased to meet you." He extended one of his hands to shake and she noticed that it to was covered with a light-blue glove. She shook his hand and then bowed and introduced herself.

"My name is Saphire. Pleased to make your aquaintence." That's when she realized that he looked like Netto. Except for his emerald eyes.

"Yesh, Rock! I was just getting to know our new slave! I was even gonna show her the way to the garden too!"

"I'll show her to mother, you get back to class. NOW!" He said in a commanding voice. She obeyed, reluctantly. "Now then, if you'll follow me?"

"Sure.." And she let him lead the way.

"But Mo-om. If Forte and Rock get one, why can't I?" A boy in a white long-sleeved shirt with an orange vest and black shorts with yellow stripes along the sides complained..

"Because you don't show the maturity required to take care of ancient magic armor. Now, please hand me the spade, dear." A woman with short brown hair told him. She wore a light-purple skirt and a white shirt with a purple stripe running along the middle. Her brown eyes were filled with compassion.

They had arrived in the gardens. It smelled like heaven on earth. Saphire had never seen so many colors in her life. Everything was so bright as well. She couldn't help but smile...untill she recognized the kid. She had beaten him up for not paying for his meal yesterday, and she didn't know how he would ract to seing her again...

"But I promise I'll be..." Then he noticed her. "HEY! It's that girl from yesterday! !"

"Saphire just stared at him open-mouthed. She _beat him up!_ Did he not get the concept behind that? Not to mention that he was somehow _miraculously_ perfectly fine after the beating he had received. Not a single bruise, and she thought that she had broken a few bones by acident... "Uhh...Hi?" She managed to say once she had collected herself enough to speak.

"Netto, this is Saphire, Forte's new slave." Rockman said by way of introduction. He had noticed the way she had reacted to his...welcome that they had met before, and probably when his brother had been short on money at lunch time. "Saphire, this is my twin brother, Netto."

"It's Saphire huh? No worries about yesterday!" He ran up to them and talked as though she were his equal. "You were right, I should have payed. But I wanted to know if you could fight or not. Now I know.".

"She's Forte's slave, if he wanted to know if she could fight, he would have asked her!" Rock said.

"I never said she was _my_ slave!" Forte walked up to them.

"Hello. You must be looking for duties, right?" Their mother walked up to them.

"Yes, my lady." Saphire answered, bowing and introducing herself. "I am Saphire, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"Yes well...why don't you help me in the garden and with dinner?"

"I-i'm afraid I do not know anything about gardening." She was looking at the ground and fidgeting again. And, yet again she braced for a blow that would not come.

"That is quite alright," Lady EXE told her, picking up on it much like Forte had. "I love teaching people how to garden. Who knows, you might come to love it."

"T-thank you my lady. I-i do know how to cook, so I can help you there a-at least..." She was surprised that Lady EXE was being so kind to her.

"Let us get started, then."

"Goodby." everyone left then. They all had things to do anyway.

"Saphire." Lady EXE started to say, when Saphire indicated that she was listening she continued. "Don't listen if anyone says differently, your family now."

"F-family?"


	4. Preparation

I don't own anything but the land in which this takes place, my OCs, and the plot. Not that it's entirely original. Is anything?

Preparation

"What do you mean, my lord?" Saphire was holding her new uniform in her hands as she stared at Yuichiro EXE. "I cannot go on a quest, I am not even properly prepared for this... What if I ruin the mission that you are sending me to complete? And what if I offend the king? Won't he be mad that an elven slave is taking part in the mission?"

He chuckled. This girl was as curious and cautious as his eldest son, although she hid it worse. In fact, she didn't hide it at all. "I mean what I said. You will act as my eldest son's, Forte by name, assistant. I have all you will need ready for you now. You will be dead if you fail, or will have just barely escaped with your lives. You won't offend the king of Afaldren, he likes elves. And he is the one who came up with the idea that slaves who take part in an important quest are to be freed, so no, he won't be mad. Now go and prepare for the quest, you leave in the morning."

"My lord is far to kind." She bowed and left the great hall where they had been conversing. It had been a week since she had come to this place, and she found that she rather liked it. Her new masters treated her with kindness and compassion, and she was quickly learning new things. Rockman had been teaching her how to use a sword correctly and she had revealed a talent for the use of the bow as well. She had learnt how to garden passibly from Lady EXE, and she had come to love it, just as predicted. She learnt how to use darts and how to steal from Alicia, and had learnt how to read and write in many languages from Netto. Forte had taught her the knights code of honor and conduct. Saphire had taken them to heart as well. Stealing didn't count, though.

"Beleive it or not you are doing me a favor..." He said to himself. _If things work out as planned, we may be able to end the war between Lunarian elves and Nocturn elves once and for all..._

She went to her new quarters, located in between Forte and Alica's rooms, and began to change. She was now wearing a travel suit just like Forte's, with one difference. It was dark-blue. She thought it was a little bland, and so she added a few things. She now wore a light-blue skirt, and a shirt that would have shown her middriff if it weren't for the travel suit. It was the same color as her boots and skirt. She then put on a scarf that was tied in the back and fell down to her ankles in two tail-like ribbons. It could also cover her mouth and nose if she were to pull it up. The dark-blue ribbon stayed in her hair, tied in a bow at her shoulders. She then put on a cloak that hid her mouth, it was an ancient cloak that would change from light-blue to dark-blue when night fell. It also acted as a ward against damage from physical attacks and illusions were useless as long as she had her scarf.

"Better get ready for the quest, eh Saphire-chan?" Alicia called from the back of the room, she had walked in while Saphire was putting on the cloak. "I hope you like the suit, I found it myself. I thought it would look good on you, and I was right."

"I don't suppose that this was your idea?" She asked the girl who wore her usuall purple clothing. Except the formal dinner that she had served during she had never seen Alicia wear anything different from that. Not even during her training. She assumed that Ailica was better than she pretended to be. "I mean, you did teach me all those things about being a theif. You even taught me the theif's cant..."

"Nah..." She said with a wave of her hand. "I like you, but not that much. Dad came up with this plan on his own. He just wanted me to help as much as possible, is all. So, I tought you how to be a theif. Aren't ya glad I did? Now you can get money if you ever run short, right?"

"I guess..." Saphire wasn't quite sure that Forte would take the money she stole from other's, but she was sure that it would come in handy, at least her abilitiy to pick locks. Well, if there were locks to pick where they were going. "I've never been out of the city before, what's out there?"

"Forest. Lakes. Monsters. The usuall."

"M-monsters? Is that why I need to know how to fight?" She was starting to stutter. _Great, just what I need. Monsters..._

"Not to worry. They only attack parties that have a lot of magical talent. Since noone has had said talent in a hundred years but the clerics, you'll be fine!"

"A-are you sure..." Saphire began to tell of a situation that she had been in before but was cut off by the sound of Rocman's shout.

"ALICIA!" He ran into the room, grabbed his older sister by her arm, turned to leave... and looked at Saphire with a calculating expression. _She looks good in that, but still not as good as..._ He jerked himself out of the thoughts that he was starting to find slightly annoying. "Saphire?" When she bowed calmly he continued. "You should show that to Forte. Watch how he reacts, and then tell me."

"Rockman?" She said quietly. As usuall. He indicated that he was listening while trying to hold onto Alicia's arm. She was trying to escape again. "Why do you want me to show this to Forte... Is there something I should know?"

"Not really, I'm just curious is all." Rockman finally pinned Alicia to the wall and was able to talk calmly. "He's been acting strange, and I have a theory as to why, but it isn't confirmed. Could you please do this for me?"

"You don't have to say please Rock-jousama." She said calmly to him. It always surprised her how they treated her with respect. She just couldn't get used to it. "I would be happy to do so after I received the supplies I need for the quest Lord EXE asked me to take part in."

"You don't have to call him that, you know." Alicia said in between breaths. Rockman was _strong_! Not nearly as strong as Forte, but still... "You can call him Yuichiro if you want. In fact, he prefers it."

"I prefer to stick with the formal, for now."

"Alicia, we need to get you to class now! Sensei is actually thinking about teaching you while you are chained up in the dungon, so I suggest you comply for a little while." He practically _dragged_ Alicia out of the room. Saphire watched them untill they were out of sight, holding in laughter as usual.

"I guess I should move on with packing for tomorrow." She went around to the quartermaster and asked what would be needed for the quest. When he just handed her a backpack and told her to fill it with food and arrows, she decided to talk to the armorer. "What do I need to have on me for the quest Lord EXE wishes me to take part in?"

"Have you spoken to the quartermaster?" She nodded. "Then there's not much else I can give you... Except this." He handed her a pair of light-blue long daggers. "They belonged to my mother, and her mother before her, and to her mother's mother before _her_. It's been in my family for generations, and now I pass it on to you."

"But why give something so special to me?" She asked, looking on the blades almost reverently. "They must mean a lot to you..."

"Did you know that the Lunarian elves were once a sparate people from the humans?" He began to speak calmly and evenly. "Well, these daggers once belonged to the royal family. It is said that when the Lunarian elves are about to be freed one will be born who can hold these daggers as naturally as the great Queens and Kings of old. My family has held on to these blades since the gods gave them to us for safekeeping. I don't exactly know why, but I feel as though you will need them more than any other person in my family. None of us can release it's true power, but maybe _you_ can. And even if you can't. it will do more good in your hands than mine. At the very least no elven clans will get in your way on your various travels."

"Thank you, I will take good care of them. I swear to the Goddess of the Moon." She accepted the blades almost reverentlly. When they touched her, she felt as though she might actually be able to succede in her mission to find the Sword of Sun. She immediatly, one could almost say it was instinct in fact, put the daggers on her thigh where she could reach them easily should an emergency arise.

"You're welcome, now move on. I beleive the kitchen was your next stop, correct?" He shoed her out of the room, before Netto saw her new weapons. He then noticed that the skirt actually hid her new daggers. _That girl just may be Tsuki-hime... And if she isn't, she'll at least meet the princess._

"So I just put this in water and it'll make it taste like meat but it won't be?" Saphire asked the cook. She had also been learning how to cook vegitarian meals during the week as well as how to improve the general quality of her meals.

"Yes. But why are you asking for my book on edible herbs and berries?" The cook was actually quite thin. She wore an apron over her uniform, which was a light beige color, and had on hard boots.

"I wanted to see what I could make on the road, should we run out of rations along the way." She answered calmly. She liked the cook, and knew her well enough to not worry about making her mad by mentioning the possibility of running out of food at any time during the quest. "It's just a precaution. You can never be too prepared, you know."

"True... very well." She got the book out of the recipe shelf that was behind her. Handing it over to the young elf she said her goodby. "Good luck kid. You'll need it."

"Thank you, my friend I hope I can return in good health when this is finished."

"Will you say goodby to the others?" The cook asked while stirring the pot for the next day's dinner. "Lady EXE is probably worried about you."

"I think I will do so. They deserve that much, at the very least." As she turned to leave, she was pulled to a particular barrel. It had some magic dust in it, and she decided to take it.(What do you expect, she's a theif.)

"Saphire, please don't forget to return what you don't use!" The cook called from behind. Saphire flinched. She wasn't that good going undetected yet.

"Lady EXE?" Saphire started when she reached the garden. She loved the smell of this place, and secretly wished that she could stay in this place forever. "I don't know if you know, but I'm to accompany Forte-jousama on his quest."

"I know, young one." She was preparing a small puch of what looked like...flower seeds. She closed said pouch and handed it to Saphre. "Take these. They may come in handy."

"W-what are they?" She asked, not quite sure what to think at first. These were the seeds she had been frobidden to plant, after all. "I thought they were dangerous."

"They are." She said calmly. Too calmly. " When raw they mean death to Lunarian elves, but cooked in a stew with blessed moonflowers they can cure a Lunarian Elf of almost any disease. Forte knows how to cook this stew, but the seeds have to be in the possesion of a Lunarian elf up till use for full potency. Understand?" Saphire nodded. It was a poison, but a necessary one for any quest. You never knew when a deadly disease would strike on the road, and without healing magic it would be difficult for anyone to survive on the road. "Get some rest, you'll need it. Forte's an early riser."

"Yes my lady."

What do you guys think? How'd I do?


	5. The Journey Begins

I own none of the non-original characters, their attacks, or the game D&D. Just the rest.

The Journey Begins

"What kept you?" Forte said as she ran up to him and Breakneck. She said a quiet hello to him, careful to hide the fact that she could speak to him from anyone else. After witnessing his reaction the week before she was far more careful. She didn't want to be seen as more of a freak than she had to be. He was suprised that she could be that... invisible, but it was actually better for him. It meant he could use her as a scout. Always a good thing to have on hand during a long or dangeros journey. _Always play to the strengths of your group..._ "It turns out that father wants Alicia to join us. That means that we are going to have a less than peaceful journey. You will handle the horses, cooking, and scouting."

"Yes, Forte-jousama..." She was a little disappointed that he didn't remember that she could read, which of course meant that she could write as well, but hid it as best she could without outright lying. Not that it mattered, he would have her do what he would, it was his call. She was the slave and he was the master. He noticed that she seemed somewat disappointed, but had nothing to say. His sister was a much neater writer than their newest slave. Suddenly her expression became much more genuine. "Wait... did you say scouting? Is that important?"

"Yes. It means we will know a small amount of what lays ahead of us, since there are no maps of where we are going. We must travel deep into the Elven forest, the ancestral home the Lunarian elves. I suggest you brush up on your elven."

"I...understand." she was starting to get the feeling that there was more to that than she knew. She was actually good at reading people, especially Forte. One could almost say it was a gift, that she could understand others so well. "What is the rout we shall follow? I assume that my scouting will not be necessary at first."

"Correct," he was actually impressed that she could have deduced this so soon, and so easily. "We will first travel to the city Trelva for additional supplies and for news on where the Temple of the Sun is rumored to be.

"I see..." She was dep in thought, trying to remember what she had learnt from Netto about the various Temples and what gods were said to be worshipped at which. That was when she remembered that the Sun-gods servants were the Solarus elves. "I can't speak Solarian very well... I'll need to keep my translator book handy."

She had begun to mutter to herself, revewing all the Solarian she had learnt so far. When Alicia had woken up and gotten ready she came over, it was already mid-morning. They left in silence, eating a travel breakfast. Saphire knew how to ride on a horse now, it hadn't taken much to get her to learn, she didn't want to have to get help from anyone else while serving them again. They traveled in this manner for a while, Saphire on the horse with Alicia, and Forte in front of them not paying attention to either of them, untill it was almost lunchtime. Saphire signaled for them to take a break, both for Breakneck's and Yami's, the horse she and Alicia were on, sake and for the sake of her but. She couldn't take much more time on the saddle, her body wasn't meant for hard surfaces. Not that she would ever say so.

"It is lunch time, so why not." Forte said as his reply, they were in a clearing near the edge of the forest. Forte had said that traveling inside the forest was safer than traveling in the open, since the group was made entirely of elves. "Saphire, should I get out rations for everyone?"

"Y-your letting me decide?" She was surprised that he would even ask her. He was surprised that she hadn't been asked the question before. And angry. Extremely angry. "But I've never even been able to decide what I would get to wear before! Why would you ask a slave like me about something like that? I mean just becaouse I am in charge of cooking doesn't mean that I make the desisions, does it?"

"Yes it does." He said. Once she had gotten off of the horse she set up a temproary eating area. She then went over to Breakneck and asked him in hushed tones where the food was. When he told her she got it out as fast as she could, makingit look like she had been getting out what she wanted them to eat the whole time. As she passed him he got a good look at what she was wearing. When she had passed he was blushing slightly. "Y-" He cleared his throught. "You've never made a decision for yourself before?"

"No, never." _Does that kitten I was taking care of count? No. The kitten's mother asked me to._ "Is that unusual? I am a slave, and most of us don't get such good homes as yours. In fact, most of us are...used...in ways which make us less than human or elven. We are turned into punching bags, wenches, targets, and living sheilds. Some of us suffer neglect, if we gat sick we will most likely not get any aid, and we are often abused. Emotional, Physical, Sexual... we get it all." She said it so matter-of-factly that it just made her point all the stronger. And Forte could tell by the way her eyes darkened at the last one that it wasn't common knowledge. He just became more enraged at the people who had owned her before. "It's not like we can do anything about it. Most of us just... give up and try to survive long enough to get a break, one that rarely comes. I was lucky beyond my wildest dreams. It would have been an improvement to be neglected." Her rigid control was starting to break, so she did what she always did when she was about to cry, she faked a smile and acted the perfect slave. "Would you like something to drink?"

"S-sure..." He was slightly thrown off by the sudden change of subject, at least untill their eyes met. She was starting to cry, and still she smiled. He remembered a legend he had heard a long time ago... _"One who cries while smiling will find the path to the future that mirrors the past. Magic shall return to the land, and hope with it."_ _And now I understand why. It takes true strength to smile in the face of the worst of tragedies, even if you are crying as well... Saphire-san, what kind of pain are you hiding?_

"Here you go." She was getting herself back to normal by thinking of what to make for dinner that day. Their eyes didn't meet again, mainly becous she was avoiding his eyes. Whic was good for the both of them, because if he had seen how hollow her eyes had become he may not have been able to hold back the person he had been trying to avoid becoming once more. Lunch ended, and she packed up, still trying to hide her pain. Saphire got back on Yami so that they could get going. She noticed Forte staring at her, and said by way of explanation: "Let's move... There's no need to remain here."

"True... very well." He got on breakneck and decided that tomorrow she would ride with him, even if he had to actually order her to do so. She wouldn't be in any more danger than was stricktly necessary.

They traveled in silence once more, with Saphire saying hello to the occasional wild animal in the area. When there was an unusually long break in between Saphire calling out to the animals and speaking to Alicia some sort of alarm went through the horses. Breakneck started to paw the ground like the warhorse he was, and Yami began trotting in place, preparing to run. Saphire noticed this and was silently asking them why they were angry. A pause in activity, then _Monsters. They're here for you._

"Kuso." She muttered under her breath. She got down off of the horse and got out her bow, knocking her arrow and preparing for the fight that was bound to take place. "Forte-jousama! Monsters have surrounded us! Alicia, you should get into your element as well."

"Right, Saphire." Forte dismounted as well, preparing for the fight as well by drawing one of his dual broadswords. He signaled for Alicia to get ready as well, staring at the area surrounding them. "Where are they?" He gave her a minute to speak to the horses.

"No clue, I'm afraid." As he was about to speak she interrupted. "And no, I don't know what they want. It's not an illusion either. Kuso! This is just like that time all those years ago... We need to watch for any movement in the leaves or bushes, that's probably where they'll be hiding."

"And you know that how?" Alicia asked before an arrow passed right by her face and a small goblin-like creature fell at Yami's feet. It was a good thing that Yami was loyal to her master, otherwise Alicia would have been bucked right then and there. As it was Yami was scared and ran around the immediate area. Forte and Saphire started to laugh, before they focused on the area around them once again. And just in time, one of the monsters was headed strait for her.

"G-gah!" She had just enough time to block the creature, which was using a simple straitsword, with her long daggers. She held them backwards, so that the blade ran along her arm rather than the traditional way. She countered with her other hand, cutting right through the creatures armor. The blades had begun to glow the moment she held them in her hands. "No-one..." She struck like a cat, and the blades changed their shape so that they were artificiall claws. "...AMBUSHES ME!" The creature had been cut to peices, and the one that had been sneaking up on her met the same fate.

"S-saphire..." Forte stared at her open mouthed for a few seconds, until he was attacked himself. He cut one in half and then was forced to block another one as it attacked from behind. He drew his second sword and seemed to become stronger for it. "GET BACK!"

They fought like this for a few minutes, untill Alicia got Yami back under controll. She then procceded to shoot several shuriken at the enemy which, while not enough to kill them was enough to get their attention, and their ire. She spent the next time in the capacity of "distraction" while Saphire and Forte, who had done all of the actual _work_ cought their breath.

"I guess we should bail her out now." Forte said calmly, standing up from the position he had been standing in for the last ten minutes.

"I thought we should have gotten her out of it three minutes ago." Saphire replied, she had climbed up a tree and had been shooting arrows at the creatures once in a while. She go down and took out her dual-blades, as she had started to call them. "So, let's go bail her out."

"Indeed." He then procedded to hack and slash his way over to the tree in which his favorite, and hyperactive, sibling had hidden herself. When he saw her she was whimpering slightly and was praying to her patron god, Kuromi-sama, god of the night. "You can come out now. I'm not gonna let them kill my sister, after all."

"Hmph. I saw you just watching me get chased, you could have helped, you know!" She was very angry. Or at least that was as close as Forte could come to the right word.

"Saphire was, she was shooting at them." He pointed to the girl who was, even as they spoke, killing dozens of the creatures, almost as though she had a personal grudge against the things. "And you have to admit, it was somewhat amsing to watch you run around."

"It's not funny! Yesh!" She was calming down, now that she knew the amazingly talented archer-theif had her back the whole time. She looked at the girl in question, only to see a frightening calm as she struck the things down one at a time. "What's with her?"

"Look out!" Forte pushed her to the ground, looking in the trees where a bunch of heart shaped projectiles hit the ground between Saphire and the creatures. A girl in a pink and black jumpsuit with waist-length hair that was tied near the bottom with a green bow landed in front of them. She turned around, revealing the Lady Sakurei Roll, in full battle regalia. "It's good to see that you two are alright, although I'm sorry my prey caught you unaware. I'm surprised that you were able to tell that they were so close, though."

"You can thank the horses for that." Forte said, keeping Saphire out of the conversation as long as possible. Or he tried to anyway.

"Amazon Heart?" Saphire asked, calmly walking up to her and sounding as though she knew the girl. "What are you doing here? Aren't you on guard duty?"

"I am, but you never asked _who_ I was sent to guard!" She said, again as though greeting an old freind.

"Okay, so who were you sent to guard?" Saphire walked up to the dubbed "Amazon Heart" calmly, finishing off the monsters that had somehow survived. She did so without any visible emotion, but mercilessly. It was becoming easier and easier to imagine some sort of grudge against them. "And why are you here instead of with your charge?"

The Roll laughed, and calmly spun around. "Who says I'm not with my charge? My charge just happens to be in this very clearing."

"Let me ask once again, who is your charge?"

She stopped spinning and faced Saphire. "You."

I think I did well on this one. Tell me what I may have messed up on, please.


	6. Wounds, Warriors, Love

I worked especially hard on this one. I don't know how well it turned out, though...

I own nothing from / Megaman NT warrior or D&D, just my OCs, their pasts, the future idea, and the universe in which this takes place is an original.

_Italics_=past

Normal=present

Underlined=future

**Wounds of the Past,**

Warrior of the Future

and Love Blossoming in the Present

_ The moon shone on the masters. "You fight with a heart that is pure, and so I give you these blades. They will protect you when all else fails." The eldest master took the dual-blades. "From now on you shall be known as the sons and daughters of the moon. The Tsuki." The light from the moon faded, revealing daylight in it's place._

_"We shall send one of our strongest to ensure the fate of our people." One of them said. The others seemed to ask silently which was to go. "One who has not found their partner. Step forth, Amazon Qween of the Heart."_

"W-what do you mean?" She asked, looking confused. It's not like she was some sort of princess, even if her mother's letter had told her to call herself a 'Child of the Lunar Kingdome'. The Lunar Kingdome was the land across the sea from which the Lunarian Elves had first come to the mainland, "I'm no-one special."

The girl laughed. "Yes, you are. I don't understand all of the details, but I am from a long, long time ago. My name is really Sakurei Roll. You are one of the Chosen. Able to weild the Crescent-blades easily, and without any concious thought on your part. I've looked a long time for you, since the Tsuki were first made, in fact. Not a very exciting search, I must admit." _How fitting that the fate of our people is in the hands of such a humble and kind being. And she just so happens to be Lunarian as well..._

"Long time ago? Like time travel?" She said calmly, accepting the impossible as fact from the start. "Is that why you can use magic without being a cleric?"

"Yes." It always surprised Roll that her charge was able to deduce things so easily, but had always assumed that it was part of being an Elf in this day and age. At least, that was what she had thought before she had met the EXE family. "I assume you want to know more than what I have told you?"

"I don't, but Forte-jousama and or Alicia-san may have questions for you. If you son't mind answering." She said calmly. "As long as you aren't a threat to us I see no reason not to take your word, you've never done anything that would make me suspicious of you."

"Not that you know of anyway." Roll was having a hard time understanding why Saphire wasn't even suspicious of her. If it had been her, she would have been angry at her closest, and possibly only, freind for keeping something so important from her. But that was just the kind of person Saphire was, no jusdgement. Just calm disappointment, not anger or blame. She never judged, she accepted, remembered, and forgave. It was like a personal vendetta, to find out what people had done in the past and tell them how it _wasn't_ their fault. "And so, Forte, Alicia, any questions?"

"Just one." Forte said, facing the girl with the minimum respect he had for her.

"Shoot."

"Did you bring your own supplies?"

"Warrior, Knight, Champion. The Chosen is nearing her first challenge. The one who steals souls is nearing her, do you have the item?" A man in shadow calls to a kneeling man with long silver hair in a ponytail tied at the base of his red helmet.

"Yes sir." He raised his head to look at the man in his throne, revealing a black visor that covered his eyes. "Should I prepare the ScienMagi TM?"

"Yes, she will need your help soon. You are the greatest warrior we have to offer, do not fail us. She _must_ succede, if we are to be born at all. I suggest you say your goodby's to your wife and children. You leave as soon as possible, understand?" He was beggining to sound smug.

"I have no wife or children, I know you meant well but she was not the right woma for me. Not by a long shot, so I suggest you let me chose for myself this time."

"Very well. Who knows, you may find the one you seek in the past. If you do so, so not return to the future. Saiyonara, Blues."

"Saiyonara, Enzan-sama." He walked up to some sort of capsule, it was shaped like an egg, and pressed a series of panels on it. The thing opened it's hatch, allowing the man acsess to the inner chamber. He walked in and sat on some sort of chair. Pressing buttons on the holographic screen that appeared in front of him caused the hatch to close. "Let us hope that I am successful in finding and protecting the lost guardian this time." The capsule glowed with a multi-colored energy and then faded, but not before the man said one last thing. "Or the world will not survive."

_ "My lord, what do you wish." Roll walked up, but she was younger. Her hair was in a ponytail and she wore the same pale blue clothes as the rest of them. "The humans will cast their Spell of Lost Immortaility soon, and we are not yet prepared."_

_"We are not prepared, but you are. I give you this spell book, study for a hundred years so that you may know the ancestral spells of your family, and cast them in service to the girl who is noble without a knight's code. She will be our new Amazon Qween of the Moon. The Moonlight Maiden must be found before the warrior from the future finds her._

_"Very well, my lord. I shall do as asked. Good by, my fellow Children of the Lunar Kingdome." She cast her spell of Sustained Knowledge, a bright light surrounded her and then it disappeared, taking her along with it._

"Yes, I do have my own supplies, why do you ask?" Roll was surprised that he had asked. Not that it really mattered. He would ask what he would and she would answere what she wanted, that was the way these things went, always. "You running short on food or something?"

"Where'd you get it?" He was staring at her with his worst Don't-Mess-With-Me look. Which was pretty good, all things considered. It just wasn't good enough to convince Roll that he was someone to be feared... That would take a show of force so bad that no-one was willing to let him do so. "If you stole from us, or anyone in the city I will not hesitate to fullfill my duty, even if you did just help us."

"I'm _not_ a theif." She said calmly. But she was also slightly mad. _Who does he think he is? He comes off all chivalrous and then turns out to be a real jerk! Yesh. I'm over a hundred years old! Why would I steal from _modern_ people? It makes no sense!_ "I bought them at the market, same as anyone else. What, did you think that I was some sort of criminal that needed to be brought in for questioning or something? It's not like the the whole world is filled with people you can't trust, you know."

"You may be an old elf, but you are _not_ wise in the way of the modern world." He was impressed that she had stood her ground against him, even if he wouldn't say it aloud. She was stubborn, for a Lunarian.

"Well, whatever. I _don't_ have a horse, so I'll have to ride with one of you." She was still a little annoyed that he had thought she was some sort of theif, just cuz she is able to use projectile weapons. In a sarcastic voice she spoke to the somewhat annoying boy. "_If you don't mind, that is._"

"Fine. You're with Alicia. Saphire, you ride with me." Saphire followed him as he walked up to Breakneck. "Try not to cause too much trouble back there, got it?"

"Forte-niisan!" Alicia was a little annoyed by how rude he was being. "She just saved our buts and you tell her not to cause any trouble? I thought you knew how to show better manners than this to people we don't know! Talk about rude!" He gave her a slightly less agressive stare than the one he had given Roll, and she shut up and got on Yami. Her brother could be _scary_ when he wanted to. Which wasn't very often.

"F-forte-jousama..." Saphire started to say. He indicated that he was listening while they got on Breakneck, Saphire in the front and Forte holding on to the reins from behind her, it kind of looked like they were hugging, not that anyone noticed, or let him know that they did. Roll hid a smirk. "Alicia is right, not to mention that she's an old freind... Please try not to fight too much?"

He snorted. "Who do you think you are? Have you no clue how dangerous trusting people who aren't family can be? She could have some sort of alterior motive for all we know. In fact, that rescue was a little _too_ perfect! Who knows, she may have sent them to kill us!"

"FORTE!" She dropped the honorary she had given him, and faced him. Her face was covered in the shadows of the past. "You have _NO_ right to speak to me like that! I may be a slave, but even _I_ have feelings!" She turned away, hiding the tears that were filling her eyes. "Your right, I _don't_ know what it's like to only be able to trust your family, you're lucky you _DO_ have that privilege!"

"W-what? Why do you say that?" He was somewhat sorry for treating her so meanly, she had been through enough already. She had begun to shake, crying as silently as she could.

"Y-you...You... YOU JERK!" She was trying, and failing, to calm down. "Do you have the _SLIGHTEST_ _CLUE_ what happens to slaves when they have children?" He shook his head no. "They are _separated_! I didn't even _have_ a family! I had _no-one_ I could trust! No-one even _looked_ at me like a person!"

"S-saphire..." The full implications of his blunt words hit him. He had been speaking as though she had lead some sort of... sheltered lifestyle, when in reality she had had a life that was worse than his darkest nightmares had ever, or would ever be. And to not even have a family... "I had no idea..."

"No, you still don't." She said it with such venom that he shut up, before he could say something else that was stupid. Or mean. Or would otherwise hurt her even more than he aready had. "Do you remember what I said? About slaves being used? Well I've lived through each and every one of them! I had _no-one_ that would hold me and say that it was all gonna be okay, or that they would pay. I had _nothing_ that would help me live through the next day! Nothing but my one and _only_ freind. She found me being attacked by those same monsters, and saved me! She told me not to give up, and that if I didn't I would find something worth living for in this world. Well, I've lived, I've searched, and guess what I got for it? _NOTHING_! Get it? I've figured it out, there's _nothing_ worth living for in this, or any world! The _only thing_ that's keeping me alive is the almost nonexistent hope that she was right! If I lose my trust in her, then I lose the only thing that has the _slightest_ hope of freeing me. Even if I'm not a slave, that won't erase the past! I'll still be a slave to their memory! Freedom is _impossible_ for me!"

"That idiot!" Roll muttered to herself. Saphire was so mad that she was yelling, for her, loud enough to be heard by the other two girls.

"Agreed." Alicia said in reply. They smiled at each other, knowing that this was going to be the start of a beautiful freindship.

"Saphire..." Forte was just staring at her. He had no idea how to react to her outburst, other than to mentally facepalm himself. She was facing forward once more and was starting to cry again. _That's it. I am going to protect her until she finds a reason to live, even from herself! I swear on my patron god, Night-sama!_ He hugged her, careful not to make it seem too intrusive, and she silently leaned into it, accepting his unspoken appology.

"Aww..." Alicia and Roll said as one, noticing how careful he had been with her.

"Wait." Roll turned towards her new freind. "You don't think this is...?"

Well, tell me how I did! Just press the review button, and anyone can do it! Please?


End file.
